This invention relates to method for treating material with a treatment composition in a water-soluble pouch, whereby firstly a part of the composition is applied to the material by partially opening the pouch to allow dispensing of part of the treatment composition, and subsequently the material and the remaining of the pouched composition are washed in water.
Cleaning products and fabric care products can be found on the market in various forms, such as granular compositions, liquid compositions and tablets. Such liquid laundry compositions have been marketed to be used with a device to hold an amount of liquid, which can be used to firstly dispense small amount of the liquid directly onto stains, and then to be put in the washing machine with cloths. A known example is the so-called xe2x80x98rollerballxe2x80x99 container, which can be rolled over the stains, thereby dispensing product, and then added to the washing machine
The inventors have now found a new, even more convenient method of delivering two-step treatment with one device, namely a method whereby a treatment composition, by the user to allow dispensing of a part of the composition onto the stained material (for example fabrics) where after the user can put the pre-treated material and the remaining of the water-soluble pouched composition in the wash water, for example in the drawer or drum of a laundry washing machine. The user can easily hold the pouched composition and rub it onto the stains. There is no need any longer to add the composition to a dispensing device such as a xe2x80x98rollerballxe2x80x99, nor to retrieve this from the wash after use.
The pouch or multitude of pouches herein comprises typically (in total) an amount sufficient for a cleaning operation, for example one wash, so the user does not have to dose the product. The water-soluble pouch around the product also serves to limit or avoid direct contact with the product by the user, which makes this execution more desirable than a tablet unit dose form.
Typically, the pouched composition has at least two compartments with product, whereof only one or more is opened by the user to pre-treat the material and one or more remain closed until the pouched composition is dissolved in water. The user can hold the closed compartment(s) and rub the other compartment(s) over the (stains on the) material (optionally first wetted), to dispense the product in that opened compartment. The rubbing action may cause the compartment to open, or preferably the user opens the compartment before application onto the material. This is preferably done by a cutting or piercing device, such as a needle-shaped object.
Preferred is thus that the pouched compositions are packed in a container or box which contains such a cutting or piercing device, to facilitate easy opening of the compartment by the user.
The present invention relates to a method for treating material with a treatment composition which is comprised in a water-soluble pouch, involving the steps of:
a) opening at least a part of the pouch and dispensing part of the treatment composition onto the material;
b) adding the material of step a) and the remaining of the pouched treatment composition to an aqueous bath, thereby dispensing the remaining of the pouched treatment composition.
Preferred methods involve treating a material which is a hard-surface, including dish-ware, or more preferably which is a fabric (garment); then in the latter case, preferred is that the aqueous bath is a laundry washing machine.
Preferred is that the part of the treatment composition dispensed in step a) is in liquid form.
The pouch may be opened in step a) by applying pressure such that the pouch opens (bursts). It may also be preferred that the material in step a) is wet and by applying the pouched treatment composition onto the material in step a), the water-soluble pouch material opens because it dissolves in the area in contact with the wet material, thus allowing release of part of the composition in step a).
Preferred is that the pouch is partially opened by cutting, or even more preferred, piercing the pouch and form a hole. Thereby, the composition can flow from the pouch through the narrow hole onto the material in a controlled manner, typically controlled by application of pressure by the user onto the pouch (for example by pressing the pouched composition onto the material, or rubbing it over the material or squeezing the pouched composition). Typically, the pouch has more than one compartment and at least one, but not all compartments are opened in step a).
The invention also relates to specific pouched unit-dose treatment composition, which are shaped to be easy to hold in step a) above and/or which have an area of weakness in the pouch or a part of the pouch is removable, to allow the flow of liquid composition form the pouch in step a). The area of weakness may be achieved by providing a pouch having a compartment made of a film which is stretched and under tension, having thus an weak area where the film is most stretched.
A preferred pouched treatment composition herein, preferably a laundry detergent, has at least a first compartment comprising a liquid composition, preferably a thixotropic liquid. Preferred is also that the pouch has a second compartment, whereby the top wall of the second compartment is the bottom wall of the first compartment and the second compartment has side wall or side walls connected to the top wall with an internal angle of 60xc2x0 to 120xc2x0, preferably from 80xc2x0 to 100xc2x0. This allows the user to hold this latter, firm compartment while opening the first compartment and it allows a good hold when applying the liquid composition on the material (e.g. stained fabric).
Preferred is that the liquid composition in the first pouch, to be opened in step a), is thixotropic and contains a solvent and at least 20% by weight of said liquid composition of surfactant, preferably including nonionic surfactant, the liquid preferably having a pH of 3 to 7.5.
The pouched unit-dose treatment composition herein preferably has at least two compartments whereby the first compartment has a different size, shape and/or colour than the second compartment.
The invention also provides specific pouched treatment compositions whereby the pouch is made of a stretched film, preferably being a thermo-formed or more preferably a vacuum-formed pouch.
The invention also relates to a combination of a treatment composition in a water-soluble pouch as described herein and a cutting or piercing device, the water-soluble pouch, respectively, to be cut or pierced by the cutting or piercing device, preferably, the piercing device having a pin-shaped (or needle-shaped) part.
The invention also relates to a container comprising one or more pouched treatment compositions as described herein and a cutting or piercing device. The piercing device can be attached to the container or be present in the container as a separate item.